The Philippine Department of Transportation (DoTr) is expected to allocate funding for the right-of-way (RoW) acquisition of the Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) in 2025 or 2026. According to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPD) 11, the RoW acquisition is ongoing for the 100.2 km Tagum–Davao–Digos (TDD) segment, which is the first phase of the project. The segment covers alignment, land, and station site acquisition.
The project has faced delays due to funding constraints following the withdrawal of Chinese government support. The government is now exploring alternative sources, including official development assistance (ODA) and public-private partnerships (PPP). The original feasibility study (FS) prepared by China is being updated to meet new standards and funding requirements, with a new FS in progress to ensure modern and environmentally sustainable project design.
The PHP83 billion project is designed to carry 122,000 passengers per day and reduce travel time between Tagum and Digos from three hours to one. Local officials have highlighted the need to coordinate railway development with existing road infrastructure, including bypass roads, to optimise alignment and project sequencing.